Electrically-controlled sorting-machine



W. W. LASKER. ELECTIHCALLY CONTROLLED SORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, I919- Patented May 3, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

. 17y lag/fie? W. W. LASKER. ELECTIIICALLY CONTROLLED SORTING MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED IIINEJ-O. I9I9. 1,376,556. Patented May 3, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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In rerzior: William 71.1mm;

W, W. LASKER. ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED SORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, I919.

Patented May 3, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- In yerioz': ifillc'amiflasier;

By Fl zls filly UNITED STATES PATIENT. OFFICE;

WILLIAM W. LASKER, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 POWERS ACCOUNTINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ELECTRICALLY-CONTROLLED SORTING-MACHINE.

Application filed June 10,

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM W. LASKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electricall -ControlledSorting-Machines, of which t e following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for sorting perforated cards of thekind used in automatic accounting and calculating machines, in whichcards are passed from the card analyzer and deflected into theappropriate compartments by deflectors which are not operated until thecard reaches the deflector.

The invention relates more particularly to improvements in the sortingmachine de scribed in my U. S. Patent No. 1,315,370, issued Sept. 9th,1919, for sorting machines.

One object of the invention is to provide an efficient electric meansassociated with each compartment to the exclusion of the others forcontrolling each deflector by the card in the analyzer destined to bedeflected by such deflector into the associated compartment.

While herein I describe minute details of the invention, the inventionis not limited to these, since the features of construction andcombination may be greatly varied without departing from the scope ofthe invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing showing by way of example, two of manypossible embodiments of the invention- Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe machine:

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view showing the timingarrangement;

Fig. 3 is a face view of a timing disk with the settable cams thereon;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through the setting means for settingthe settable cams, and

Fig. 5 is a face view showing the arrangement of another form of settingmeans.

As shown in Fig. 1, the machine comprises a base 10 on which are mounteda pair of side plates 11 on which are mounted the card feeding means 12,the analyzer 14 and other parts of the mechanism to be mentioned. Thecard feeding means 12 of the analyzer 14 are similar in constructionSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921. 1919. Serial No. 303,155.

to that described in the U. 'S. Patent to James Powers, No. 1,282 626,issued Oct. 22nd, 1918, and the U. S. Tatent to W. W. Lasker,'No.1,298,971, issued April 1st,1919; hence they need not now be shown ordescribed in all their details.

The upper part of the feeding means comprises a magazine hopper 18adapted to receive a pack of cards to be sorted; and at the lower partof the feeding means there is provided a reciprocating block 19 guidedin the lower part of the feeding means and connected by means of a link20 to a lever arm 21 mounted on the shaft 24 carried between the sideplates 11, and connected by the link 26 having its end 28 eccentricallymounted on the eccentric shaft 29 suitabl driven, as will be hereinafterdescribe from the motor 30, whereby the block 19 is reciprocated in thelower -part of the magazine 18. The block 19 is provided with a pickerknife 34 whereby when the block is reciprocated the lowermost card inthe magazine is fed forward through the micrometer slot 35 at the outletside of the feeding means.

From the micrometer slot 35 the card is received between the roller 36and a roller mounted on a shaft 38 suitably driven by the sprocket 40and chain 41 or the like from the drive wheel 44 of the motor 30. Fromthe shaft 38 suitable gears 45, 46, and 47 convey power-to the eccentricshaft 29 and toa conveyer roller cooperating with the conveyer rollers49 and 50, which latter are adapted to withdraw the cards from theanalyzer 14 and deliver them to the conveying means to be laterdescribed.

The cards are conveyed by the roller 49 and the cotiperating roller intoplace between the perforated plates 51 suitably supported on the sideplates 11. The pin box 52 is disposed above the perforated plates 51 andis vertically reciprocated by meansof links 58 having their lower endsreceiving the eccentric 59 of the eccentric shaft 29.

The pin box is provided with rows of pins- 65 which may be caused .toregister with any one of the rows of perforations of the plates 51 bymeans of suitable adjustments as explained in said last named copendingapplications.

The pins 65, as explained in the first mentioned of said applications,are yieldably pressed against the erf orated' cards, andcarried insuitable guide plates 86 transversely slidably mounted between'the sideplates -11, as explained in said last named copending applications. Theplungers 85 when depressed by the analyzing pins, make connection withthe terminal 87 of the insulated electric wires 89, covered withinsulation 90, for operating the selecting mechanism of the cardconveyer as will be explained.

It is, of course, necessary that the plungers 85 always remain inregister with the analyzing pins 65 as for instance when the pin box isadjusted so that the pins register with the row of rforations which areto be analyzed. hese mechanisms, however, form no part of the presentinvention and are described in detail in said last named application.

The cards are received from the roller 50 (Fig. 1) and are finallyconveyed to the compartments 92 formed by transverse partitions 93mounted at their lower ends uponthe base 10 and having their upper endssecured to retaining pieces 95 carried upon the bearing supports 96mounted upon the lower edges of the extension plates 98 secured to theside plates 11. Rotatably "mounted in said bearing supports 96 are aplurality of deflector shafts 99, one for each compartment, on which aresecured deflec tors 100 (Fig. 2) formed of strips of material bent uponthemselves and secured by means of rivets 101 to the deflector shaft.Upon each deflector shaft 99 there are rotatably mounted a pair of lowerguide rollers 102 against which are yieldably pressed the upper guiderollers 104'rotatably mounted in brackets 106 loosely mounted on pivotbolts 108 secured to the extension plates 98.

On each upper shaft 105 there is fixed a pinion 112 meshing with anidler 113 rotatably mounted on one of the bolts 108.

The end bracket 114 is loosely mounted on a short bearing shaft 115 onwhich is fixed a drive pinion 116 and a drive sprocket 117 the latterbeing driven by means of a sprocket chain 118, on the sprocket wheel 120carried on the shaft 121 operatively connected to a gear wheel 122 inturn driven from the gear 48. On the shafts 121 and 124 are mountedrollers 125 which receive the cards from the analyzing plates 51 andconvey them to the rollers 102 and 104 which latter convey the cards ina horizontal path above the deflectors 100, when the deflectors disks136. disk equal angles apart, are a plurality of are deflected upwardlyso that a card-pass- 1 ing from the analyzing. plate passes to. the

underside of the deflector, such card is deflectedinto one of thecompartments 92' on to the receiving plate 127.

Means for operating the deflector will now be described.

Mounted upon one'of the side plates .11 (Fig. 2) is a bracket support130 upon which are mounted elbow brackets -'131 provided with timingshaft bearings 132 and deflector shaft bearings 134, the latterreceiving the'ends of the deflector shafts 99. In the bearings 132 thereis disposed a timing-shaft 135 on which are fixed, one for eachcompartment, a pluralityof timing Disposed around each timing trippingsupports or pivots 137 on which are pivotally mounted settable trippingcams 138 provided at their inner edges with a cam projection 140. Saidcams are held spaced from thedisk by means of spacing collars 141. Atthe free end of each settable cam there is secured a. pivot pin 143(Fig. 3) on which is pivotally mounted a detent 144 provided with anupwardly pointing releasing finger 145 and an inwardly pointing detentfinger 146 provided with an active detent shoulder 147 and an inactivedetent shoulder 148 either one of which is adapted to rest upon thedetent pin 150 mounted upon the disk. Said finger 144 is held pressedagainst the detent pin by means of a coil spring 152 wrapped around thecollar 141 and pressing against a projection 153 carried'upon the detent144.

Upon each pivot pin 143 there is also carried a. tripping roller 155,adapted, when the active shoulder 147 engages the detent pin, to engagethe operating arm 156 (Fig. 2) fixed upon the deflector shaft 99,whereby as said disk rotates and brings said roller into contact withsaid arm 156, the deflectors 100 are raised and deflect the cards intothe compartments. After the operating arm 156 has been thus operated,the releasing finger 145 engages the'releasing pin 158 carried upon theouter end of the operating arm 156, whereby said active shoulder 147 isforced away from the detent pin 150 and the spring 152 causes thetripping cam and detent to move inwardly until the detent pin 150 isengaged by the inactive shoulder 148. The deflector operating means asthus far described is vshown in said first named application.

Each timing shaft bearing box 132 (Fig. 4) is provided with a reducedextension 160 on which is fixed by means of a set screw 161, a plungerbracket 162 provided with an opening receiving a threaded extension 163of a thimble 164 held in place by a nut-165.

Said thimble is provided with a longitudisuch a distance from theassociated operatnal bore 166 reduced at its inner end to form ing arm156 that the tripping cam which an annular shoulder 167. comes intooperative relation with such In each bore there is disposed a sleeveplunger at the time that the card is in the 168 in which is slidablyreceived an armaanalyzer will have just time to pass from 7 ture core169 between which and said shoulsuch tripping plunger to said operatingder 167 there is disposed a coil spring 170 arm as the card whichoperated such plunfor holding the core retracted. To each ger r uires topass from the analyzer to core 169 there is fixed by means of a the deector. Inorder to fulfill these conthreaded connection a triptping orsettin ditions the plungers 171 must be placed plunger 171 passingoutwar' 1y through sai spirally around the timing shaft, the plunbore166. Around said sleeve 168 is wound gers associated with the mostremote coma solenoid 174 having one end 175 of its partments beingplaced the greatest diswire connected to the insulated electric tancesfrom the operating arm 156, such 1 wire 89 (Fig. 2). The other end ofthe distances being measured forward from the solenoid wire is connectedby the conductor plunger in direction of rotation of the disks 176 (Fig.4) to one terminal of a suitable indicated by the arrow at the right ofFi source of current 177, the other terminal 2. As the embodiment hereindescribed is thereof being, by means of the conductor provided with 12compartments, and the 20 178, grounded on the frame of the machine.timing disks are provided with only six here is one solenoid 168electrically contripping cams, it is necessary that the tripnected bythe wires 175 and 89 to each ter-' ping cams, of one disk be placed instagminal 87 (Fig. 2). As the plungers 86 aregered relation with thetripping cams of the grounded on the frame of the machine, it adjacentdisk so that the tripping cam on 5 will be seen that whenever a plunger85 is every disk will be coming into operative 90 depressed to contactwith a terminal 87, a relation with the associated tripping luncircuitis formed comprising said plunger ger just at the instant that the cardis bepin 85, the terminal 87, the wire 89, the ing analyzed. Otherwisesome of the tripend 175, the solenoid 168, the conductor 176, pingplungers would be operated at an in- 0 the source of current 177, theconductor stant when the point of the disk midway be- 178, and the frameof the machine. When tween adjacent cams would be opposite the thecircuit is thus formed by the depressing plunger, and no setting of thetrlpping cam of a plunger 85, the corresponding solenoid would takeplace. The number of tripping is energized and the correspondingtripping cams could be either greater or less than 35 or setting plunger171 is projected. shown, if desired.

The timing shaft 135 is rotated by means From the foregoing theoperation of the of bevel gears 180 (Fig. 1) driven by suitentiremachine shown in Figs. 1 to 4 will be able gears 181 from'the gear 47;and these readily understood and need now be only gears are soproportioned that each time a very briefly summarized as follows:

40 card is analyzed in the analyzer, one of the By means of thereciprocating picker tripping cams 138 is just coming into opblade 34,each card is fed from the lower erative relation with one of theplunpart of the magazine hopper 18 to the roller gers 171. 38 whence itis carried between the perfoen a card'is in the analyzer and the ratedplates 51, after which the pin box of 45 analyzing pin 65 findsaperforation and the analyzer is lowered and the plunger pin pressesupon the plunger 85 the solenoid 85 and the tripping plunger 171associated projects the tripping plunger 171, wherewith the compartmentto which said card is upon, the tripping plunger engages the trip-.destined, are operated, thereby bringing ping cam 138 at that timecoming into opabout the setting of the tripping-cam 140 as 50 erativerelation therewith. sociated with said compartment just as it As thevarious compartments 92 are comes into operative relation with suchtripplaced progressively greater distances from ping plunger. When this.takes place the the analyzer, it requires a greater length of settripping cam 140 and the card which time for the card passing from theanalyzer causes its setting, respectively travel toward 55 to reach thecompartments more remote the operating arm 156 and the deflectors 100 10 therefrom; and provision is made for opassociated'with suchcompartment; and becrating the deflector just at the instant that causeof the relation between the location of the card reaches it so that eachcard may. the plunger setting, the remoteness of the be deflected intoits appropriate compartcompartment from the analyzer, and the 60 mentwithout having to wait until sufiicient speeds of travel of the settripping cam and time has elapsed for a card to be deflected the card,said tr pping cam comes into 0perinto the most remote compartment. Inative relation with the operating lever 156 order to accomplish this itis merely necesjust before the card comes into opertive resary to placethe plunger 171 associated lation with the deflectors whereupon the set65 with each compartment and timing disk tripping cam operates theoperating lever ately passes on and and consequently the associateddeflectors and deflects the card into the appropriate compartment. Theoperating cam immedis ermits the deflectors to fall, so that a cardimmediately following the card thus deflected may pass over saiddeflectors for a more remote compartment. If such card was destined forthe same compartment, the deflectors will be immediately deflected againin the same manner just described.

appro riate compartments.

As soon as the operating arm 156 has been operated, the tripping finger145 engages the tripping pin 158 thus releasing the shoulder 147 fromthe detent pin 150 whereupon the trippingcam resu mes its normalposition. This operationis repeated until all of the cards areanalyzedand deposited in their In t e alternative form of timing mechanism shownin Fi 5 the tripping member -means of a setting p 238 is similar to t etripping cams 138 except the former is not provided or supplied with acam operating-edge, and is set by nger 240 pivoted at 241'to thetripping member and operated by the plunger core 242. -slidable in thesolenoid 243. I

' Each solenoid 2431s grounded at one end 247 of its wire upon thetiming disk, and therefore to the frame of the machine. The other end248 of the solenoid wire is electrically connected to one of a series ofcommutator' plates separately mounted in the insulating rin 251 mountedon a collar 252 mounted on t e timing shaft 135. As the timing shaftrotates, the commutator plates come successively into contact with thesprin brush 255 electrically connected to the wire 89. To each trippingmember 238 'tain compartment is just enough remote from the arm 156 ofsuch compartment. The construction and o ration of the parts op- 'eratedby the tripplng cam 138 and the tripping member 238 are identical.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, sorting stations; ananalyzer; a deflector for each station; a sleeve for each station; acore in each sleeve; a plunger fixed to'each core and to bring about theactuation of saidlgeflectors'; and a solenoid on each sleeve a --electrically connected to the analyzer. H

2. In an apparatus of the character describedys'orting stations; ananalyzer; a deflector for each station; revoluble settable devicesadapted to trip said deflectors; a

sleeve-thimble for each station; a core in each sleeve; a plunger fixedto each core and adapted to set said devices; and a solenoid on eachsleeve andelectrically connected to the analyzer.

.3. In an apparatus of the character described, sorting stations; ananalyzer; a deflector for each station; a rotary timing 4. In anapparatus of the character described, the combination of a plurality ofsorting stations; an analyzer; an individual deflector associated witheach station; a rotary timing shaft disposed longitudinally of themachine; timing disks on said shaft, one

for each'station; a plurality of settable tripping devices on eac diskadapted when 'set to trip said deflector; brackets disposed at differentangles around said shaft and each provided with an opening thereon; athimble provided with a longitudinal bore reduced at its inner end toform an annular shoulder, and provided with a threaded ex: tensionreceived in saidopening; a nut by which said extension is held 1n place;a sleeve fast in each core; a core slidably received in each sleeve; acoil s ring disposed between said core and'sai shoulder for holding thecore retracted; a setting plunger fixed to said core by means of athreaded connection and pasisng outwardly through said bore and adaptedwhen projected to set said settable trippin'g devices; and a solenoidwound around each sleeve and having one end of its wire grounded on theframe of the machine and the other connected to' the analyzer.

WILLIAM W. LASKER. a 8.]

